Justice News

Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Misuse of a Social Security Number

BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to falsely representing a number to be his social security number.

Luis Miguel Mejia Lugo, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a social security number. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2017.

On June 3, 2016, a man who identified himself as “Josue Marrero,” but who later was identified as Mejia Lugo, was arrested in Methuen for armed robbery and firearms charges. When Mejia Lugo was booked early the following morning, in order to hide his true identity, he represented a number to be his social security number when in fact it was not.

The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Mejia Lugo will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger made the announcement today. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Social Security Administration, and the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, W.V. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Begg Lawrence and Robert E. Richardson of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.